Snap-on spacer positioner for reinforcement



June 28, 1966 R. R. LASSY SNAP-0N SPACER POSITIONER FOR REINFORCEMENTFiled Aug. 28, 1963 Fig.3

INVENTOR.

RAYMONUR.L ASSY BY MAM HIS ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,257,767SNAP-ON SPACER POSITIONER FOR REINFORCEMENT Raymond R. Lassy, North St.,Plymouth, Conn. Filed Aug. 28, 1963, Ser. No. 305,060

. 2 Claims. (Cl. 52-652) This invention relates to the manufacture ofpoured pipe, normally of concrete, but including any pipe which includesa reinforcement that necessarily must be located with respect to themold for receiving the poured substance and thereby properly locatedwithin the material which forms the pipe itself.

The invention relates more specifically to a spacer which is positionedon the reinforcement by snapping sarne into position or by manipulatingthe spacer so that its ends engagethe reinforcement in such a manner asto resist turning or twisting with respect to the reinforcement and tofurther be adapted to engage the reinforcement so that pressure againstthe spacer toward the reinforcernent will serve only to more securelyattach same thereto.

It will be understood that a plurality of spacers are normally used ondifferent sections of the reinforcement so that it may be spaced asdescribed below from the entire outer section of a mold.

It will be understood that the spacers are applied to the reinforcementprior to its placement in the mold.

My invention is an improvement over the old-style reinforcement spacercurrently in use as they require welding to the proposed reinforcement.This construction is susceptible to damage as the spacers are constantlybreaking at the weld-or being pushed out of position which necessitatesa replacement of the spacer with a consequent expenditure of time andmaterial.

The material from which the proposed spacer is formed is not ofconsequence except that it must be bendable and/or distortable andfurther that it may be, in some cases, resilient.

An object of my invention is to provide a spacer of the characterdescribed in which the ends are of such construction as to prevent atwisting of the spacer when same is operatively engaged with thereinforcement.

Another object of my invention is to produce a spacer for reinforcementin a poured pipe which comprises a unitary strap having ends providedwith bendable fingers for engagement with a reinforcement, saidintermediate portion being bendable.

Another object of my invention is to produce a spacer for reinforcementin a poured pipe which comprises a for engagement with a reinforce-ment,said intermediate portion being bendable.

A further object is to provide a resilient spacer which can bereleasably engaged with and disengaged from a poured pipe reinforcement.

Another object of my invention is to provide a spacer in which the bentsection of the spacer is of a dimension described to space thereinforcement from the outer mold section.

A further object is to provide a spacer of the character described inwhich the above and other objects may be etfectively attained as willappear from the more detailed specification which follows.

A practical embodiment of my invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 represents in cross section a pipe rnold comprising inner andouter sections and a reinforcement placed therein and spaced therefromby spacers constructed according to my invention.

unitary strap having ends wider in dimension than the 7 intermediateportion and provided with bendable fingers p seams? Ice Patented June28, 1

FIG. 2 represents a detailed section on an enlarged scale taken on theline 2-2 of FIG. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 3 represents in perspective a detail on an enlarged scale showing aspacer operatively engaged with a pipe reinforcement, it beingunderstood that this represents merely a fragment of the reinforcementand that a plurality of spacers are normally used.

Referring to the several figures of the drawing, the

spacer body portion is denoted generally by 1, its upper I end by 2, andits lower end by 3. It will be observed that the ends in this particularembodiment are shown as being wider than the bent intermediate portion,said portion being denoted by 4..

The reason for so dimensioning the ends is to prevent twisting of thespacer with respect to the reinforcement when same are operativelyengaged.

The bendable fingers on the upper end 2 of the spacer are denoted by 5and 6, and fingers on the lower end 3 are denoted by 7 and 8.

The section of the upper end 2 which is cut out to form the fingers Sand 6 is denoted by 9, and a similar cut-out section on the lower end 3is shown at 10.

The several segments of the reinforcement which, in the presentinstance, are shown as comprising substantially rectangular spacesenclosed by a plurality of similar vertical elements 11 and horizontalelements 12, but may be of any desired shape or configuration.

A section of pipe mold is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 and said moldcomprises an outer shell 13 and an inner section 14. It will beunderstood that the parts of the mold are separated sufficiently toreceive the reinforcement with the desired number of spacers attachedthereto in order to position the reinforcement prior to the pouring ofthe pipe itself.

The operation of my spacer is as follows:

Assumingthat it is desired to attach a spacer to the reinforcement andto space the reinforcement two inches from the outer part of the mold,the spacer 1 is bent at 4 so that the distance as illustrated in FIG. 3between the vertical member 11 of-the reinforcement and the apex of theouter side of the spacer is two inches.

The spacer is then, of course, applied to the horizontal -member 12 andthe fingers 5 and 6 bent to engage this As many spacers as are desiredare afiixed to the reinforcement either as outlined above or, of course,the bottom section may be first applied in the manner outlined above andthen the section 2 with its fingers engaged with the upper horizontalmember of the reinforcement.

It is feasible in certain instances to use my spacer without bending thefingers as illustrated in FIG. 3.

They may be left straight and the resiliency built into a bent spacer sothat the resilient action of the spacer will force the cut-out sections9 and 10 into substantial engagement with the vertical 11. Since saidfingers are opposed, this modification will also have the benefits, suchas resist ance against twisting, and security against dislodgment, ofthe first embodiment herein described in which the fingers are normallybent over the elements 12.

It will be seen that I have invented a spacer which resists twisting andwhich will more firmly engage the rein- If it is desired to use spacershaving a substantial resiliency, they can be attached to thereinforcement -by the fingers which can be pre-bent as in such case itwould be necessary only to position the spacer at one end either upperor lower against the member 11 and in engagement with the element 12 andthen spring the unattached end into the position shown in FIG. 3.

It is obvious that this spacer could be applied in the horizontal aswell as the vertical position and, perhaps, in positions intermediatethese two if the situation so required.

It is also to be understood that in manufacturing the spacer, the amountof space desired between the reinforcement and the mold may be builtinto the bend of the intermediate portion of the spacer.

Further, the specifications for the job which include the size of thereinforcement will also determine the proper length for the spacer.

Since it is evident that various changes may be made in the constructionform an arrangement of the several parts without departing from thespirit and scope of my invention, I do not intend to be limited to thespecific embodiment herein shown and described except as set forth inthe appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with a reinforcement having vertical and horizontalcomponents and a mold of a unitary snapon spacer comprising a resilientdistortable bend body portion, its fiat ends, and means for securing thebody to the reinforcement, said means including cut-out sections in eachend of the body, spaced curved elements encompassing said cut-outsections and a plurality of horizontal and vertical reinforcementcomponents engaged, respectively, by said spaced elements and cut-outsections and biased thereagainst by said body for holding the body tothe reinforcement to position the latter in the mold when it is placedtherein.

2. A snap-on spacer for reinforcements in combination with areinforcement having horizontal and vertical components comprising aflat bendable laterally bend resilient body portion, cut-out endsections thereof, said sections being wider than said body portion and aplurality of spaced outwardly curved members extending from each endsection and bent in the opposite direction from the bend in the bodyportion and vertical components on the reinforcement engaged at saidcut-out and by and between said curved members and biased thereagainst,the spacer being held thereon in predetermined position, said curvedmembers engaging horizontal components and said reinforcement each sideof each vertical component.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,042,802 10/1912Koetity 52-268 1,150,828 8/1915 Souder 25l27 1,172,026 2/1916 Hough52653 1,287,052 12/1918 Lambert 52-684 1,421,807 4/1922 Metzger 526841,439,737 12/1922 Hough 52'684 1,472,654 10/1923 Jackson 52387 1,485,8113/1924 Pederson 52653 1,592,671 7/1926 Nichols 25-118 1,750,286 3/1930Sherwan 52-652 1,835,806 12/1931 Olmsted et al 52-685 2,278,917 4/1942Curry 52677 FOREIGN PATENTS 526,247 9/1940 Great Britain.

FRANK L. ABBOTT, Primary Examiner.

M. O. WARNECKE, Assistant Examiner.

1. THE COMBINATION WITH A REINFORCEMENT HAVING VERTICAL AND HORIZONTALCOMPONENTS AND A MOLD OF A UNITARY SNAPON SPACER COMPRISING A RESILIENTDISTORTABLE BEND BODY PORTION, ITS FLAT ENDS, AND MEANS FOR SECURING THEBODY TO THE REINFORCEMENT, SAID MEANS INCLUDING CUT-OUT SECTIONS IN EACHEND OF THE BODY, SPACED CURVED ELEMENTS ENCOMPASSING SAID CUT-OUTSECTIONS AND A PLURALITY OF HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL REINFORCEMENTCOMPONENTS ENGAGED, RESPECTIVELY, BY SAID SPACED ELEMENTS AND CUT-OUTSECTIONS AND BIASED THEREAGAINST BY SAID BODY FOR HOLDING THE BODY TOTHE REINFORCEMENT TO POSITION THE LATTER IN THE MOLD WHEN IT IN PLACEDTHEREIN.